Courtyard Marriott Hotel

321 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine

The Issue

A new 131-room Courtyard Marriot hotel with 14 penthouse apartments was proposed for a dirt lot at 321 Commercial Street. The proposed site of the hotel development on the western end of Commercial Street is a gateway to the City and to the Old Port Historic District. It was imperative that the proposed building be compatible with the quality and character of its surroundings.

Our Position

Advocating for new construction that is contextually appropriate in historic areas is an important part of Landmarks' mission. Landmarks made several recommendations to the hotel development team asking that the building design respond to the historic and physical context of the site. Landmarks recommended the building's east wall run parallel to historic Foundry Lane and that the materials and proportion of the front facade relate to the strong street wall along the land side of Commercial Street. The developers adopted several key recommendations made by Landmarks in their final project plans. Historic Foundry Lane was redeveloped as a pedestrian passage between York and Commercial Streets and the new hotel extends the street wall of Commercial Street.